1st gay marriage license issued in Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The clerk in Arkansas' largest county has started to issue same-sex marriage licenses as the state seeks a stay blocking a judge's order that overturned Arkansas' ban on gay marriage.

The Pulaski County clerk's office issued its first same-sex marriage license shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. Gay couples began lining up before sunrise in hopes of securing a license.

On Friday, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza ruled that Arkansas' voter-approved ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Piazza did not issue a stay, and 15 same-sex couples obtained marriage licenses Saturday in the left-leaning tourist town of Eureka Springs.

Other Arkansas counties have refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, saying the Arkansas Supreme Court must weigh in. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is seeking a stay of Piazza's order.